◾ ...but some of us are looking at the stars

◾ Entries tagged withupdate

Anyone who has been on my flist for any length of time know that I do indeed like to flutter off for weeks on end and then come back, posting like it’s going out of fashion, and then flutter off again.Can’t help it.I get distracted…

Condensed update aka Things I have been doing since gone in no particular order

Went through one of my ebay phases – thus far I’ve bought: three pairs of brand new jeans for next to nothing; Battlestar Galactica miniseries and season 1 (which has been highly rec’d and I bought for a collective £3.70); a book about football hooliganism; Mamet’s Olenna; 2 Methuen play anthologies of Cartwright and Fo and the Alias ps2 game.I’m stopping right now.I’ve been looking at the weirdest things and it’s just time to stop.

Working on my latest opus.I feel in my bones that this is the one. It’s the damn one.The bloody black absurdist post modern nightmare semi-comedic fucked up thing is it.It has to be.I’ve been working on this for the last six months.I’ve been having recurring nightmares because of it.I’ve cancelled on friends to be with it.And lying in a lovers arms, she posed the notorious question “What you thinking?”After secret eye-rolling, I made her reply first in order to give me some time to think about what I was thinking about – “Your nails,” she replied.“The black plague” was my unchanged answer.I should have lied because I don’t think she was too impressed with the truth.

Got into Doctor Who just in time for the finale.After being so badly wounded by it, I’m not sure that was the correct decision.

Having weird dreams.Not just the one caused by the latest play but another.No remotely sexy dreams with Kristen though - confound it!

The recurring nightmare involved a secret society hidden under the floor boards of a pub and then the place being flooded with a gaseous sludge.I’m trying to find this wanky OxBridge type society to save them but it’s impossible.A police person in a gas mask runs in, handing me a gas mask and together we look.But the sludge is so thick and it hardens by the minute.The other person is dying, now stuck in the sludge.She takes off their mask to reveal someone close I’ve never quite got over losing the way I did.I struggle through the sludge to save her but it’s too late.Taking me by surprise, she kisses me lightly and leans to whisper her last words.But I never hear them as she either dies or I wake up.I had this dream about 10 times in a fortnight - I always survive, she always dies and I never hear what she was going to say.One of those dreams that really sink into you.Horrible.Distressing.Glad they’ve stopped now.

The other dream involved me jetting off to Portugal on the spur of the moment.While waiting for a flight home, the desk clerk takes me to see the Portuguese Man O War jellyfish (Because, yes, they obviously have them in easy reach of airports).I climb over the wall to see them clearly, standing on some rocks that jut out over the water.The jellyfish are quite beautiful, until three of them ‘jump’ and sting my legs.Already paralysis is setting in.The desk clerk takes me to a hotel room and tells me that’s it.There’s nothing he can do.I’m dying.So, panicked, I get on my crappy phone and try to call everyone I can as the creeping paralysis travels up my body.I only get through to my sister and an old uni friend I’ve not spoken to in a while and blurt out the whole story, adding a ‘love you, bye’ then giving them barely any time before I tell them I have to call someone else.The paralysis is total and I feel myself dying.End of dream.

When telling this to friends, they’ve laughed.And I’ve been hurt.The dream was pretty fucked and really frightening because (with the exception of jumping jellyfish) everything was so real. There was no stupid dream stuff or unexplainable crap.Every detail was very life like and the paralysis was terrible.Urgh.Dreams.

Became a basketcase for an hour when reading some Sarah Kane plays, thinking that I’d lost my powers of theatrical comprehension, freaking out and then tossing the book across the room.What a drama queen (shudder – A moniker I’ve never been comfortable with)

Filled the non-watching professional football hole with that of playing.Such a novelty idea, huh?I don’t think it’ll catch on.

Learned stuff. Probably.

Pondered the notion of what modern treason is since the Queen was visiting the town 10 miles away from me and the place was crawling with police for a week. I always find the thought that we’re theoretically ruled by an OAP with a perm really funny.I’ve always been quite anti-royalty – I cannot justify the logic of supporting a monarch to the tune of 60 million or so a year – Although Helen Mirren softened me for a good while.There were bikini pictures of Mirren in the tabloid the other day – they were quite worthy of a zee014 glossy picspam.I can’t help myself – I know perpetuating this crush is damaging what little reputation I have but it’s impossible.I’ll show you three hot Helen pictures and I’d defy anyone remotely attracted to females not to give a little smile and a whimper.Oh.God.Stop.How can I go from intellectually thinking about the royalty tax in our fragile class society to outing my long running crush over a 60 year old?Oh.Jesus.Christ.

Dyed my hair dark red.I’m quite loving it.

And more stuff I can’t remember or don’t want to remember…

And the last thing I have been doing?Missing you all, of course.

Since my paid account has lapsed (probably will update tomorrow), I now get ads, which I normally don't really notice but this one to the very right of the post entry space caught my eye.

I'm giving you ample forewarning that this entry will be a veritable collation of crap. When I decide what I'm writing. I suppose I'll start with the news.

RIP George Carlin. I'm too young to have known most of his work, but I very much enjoyed his roles in Kevin Smith movies. Good long life though.

Megan Mullally baffled by nude demand before 50. Am I the only perv in the room who wouldn't mind seeing this come to pass? Probably. My misguided friend and I wanted to emulate Karen during first year of uni, until we realised that neither of us takes prescription drugs and I simply can't drink spirits continually without passing out at some point. As a poor back up, she went as Karen for hallowe'en and I went as Oz as God for the third year running and laughed in a silly high voice.

My £3 bet on Spain to win the European Championships is still safe, as we narrowly edged Italy out the other night. Now the stakes are higher ('How can they be higher than the princely sum of three pounds?' I hear you ask.) Claire, who has just threw her hat in the ring for Germany (late comers, pfft) and I have agreed to a forfeit dare should the others team win. We haven't decided the forfeit yet - suggestions?

I've been listening to a lot of Cher lately (pre '94 Cher, certainly not Believe era Cher) which can only mean I'm contemplating life's most serious issues. Seriously. Something about grandiose rock operatic ballads causes great contemplation. Also, found a random Smithereens song, Blood and Roses on my playlist (presumably from Romy and Michelle) and downloaded more. However anytime I listen to this catchy 80's pop rock it's steathily followed by The Smiths which is making me want to gouge my eyes out when I realise. Not because I hate them, but if I'm not in the mood for The Smiths it makes me feel like going Oedipus then crying in a dark, damp corner with a newspaper over my head. I don't know why. The sensible solution is to either delete The Smiths or play russian roulette by putting winamp on random.

I succumbed to Doctor Who and have started from the beginning of the new incarnation. Thoughts of 'God, this is well naff' turned to feelings of unbridled amusement and joy. I don't quite think an addiction of epic scale has begun, but I'm certainly enjoying it.

Jesus. I thought I had more to say than this assortment of skittle-type fruityness. Apparently not

There’s been quite a few things I’ve wanted to post about in the past few weeks actually and having to refresh a webpage 8 or 9 times with varying beats and rhythms pretty much ruled out that option.So I’ll try to remember…

New job.New good job.Haven’t started yet as waiting for clearance to check I’m not a murderer.

Really good quote couple of weeks ago in the Scotsman by Vicky Featherstone, artistic director of NTS on how she sees Scottish national identity and how NTS can further explore that.Can’t find it ATM, which is slightly annoying.

Continued Buffy watching in lieu of internet.Just finished season 6.Which I don’t hate, which I suppose is against the grain.There are things I disagree with – sure – but I don’t enjoy it any less.

My team’s doing well though now stumbling towards the finish line of the season.Fingers are crossed.

IOY16 is still in the works.Two rubbishy pesky but kinda vital scenes that I want to slap around until they write themselves.I’ve just not been in the headspace.

“Internet Porn ‘encourages teenagers to have sex early’” from Sunday Herald.Giggle.Because any sensible person girl (because let’s face it, teenage boys don’t need porn to want to have sex) with a proper sex education (from family, school, friends or own morality) would be swayed by looking at the vast recesses of utter crap online.The study is conclusive but I just don’t know if I can believe it when you factor in variables such as individual upbringing and personality.Which as far as the article goes, it doesn’t seem to.

Finally: The whole Lexicon v Rowling thing…I’m afraid I’m on the side of the Lexicon here although when it first happened I was on JK’s as a knee-jerk reaction and was looking at the HP Lexicon like a faithful, beloved puppy that just mauled my child.However, I quickly changed my mind as I delved further in.

The published Lexicon would not impact, change or decrease her sales of the original series in ANY way.None at all.No one’s going to buy the Lexicon to read the scant passages throughout and put together the story themselves.No one.And as for her encyclopaedia: I believe that the hardcore percentage of fans who buy the varied volumes of unauthorised non-fiction books out there dedicated to analysis of themes, characters etc, will be some of the first in line for her encyclopaedia.They buy all they can get their hands on.JK’s being the ‘definitive’ version with added shiny new information makes it a must buy for the fans of varying degrees of hardcore-ness.I don’t think anyone in the world, years after JK’s encyclopaedia is published will pick up her book and the Lexicon and having only enough pennies for one, would buy Steve Vander Ark’s.No chance.This book would be a stop-gap until the official encyclopaedia shows up, not jumping the gun and stealing her potential sales (And I know she’s stated that the proceeds of her collected work will go to charity so it’s not money that’s her issue but SVA is certainly not taking bread out of orphans’ mouths here.)

I was quite appalled by her testimony, tbh.The whole ‘can’t sleep, impacted my creative work’.And I’m saying that as a writer who detests plagiarism and can’t help but fanfic.

One of the things that swayed me to SVA’s side was considering how much work he’d undertaken to publish, update and maintain the Lexicon site.I use it frequently for checking facts or finding a random background character’s name from Ravenclaw house or whatever, so anyone I do mention in fic should have been mentioned in the books at least once.It’s nice I have that option.There’s a ridiculous amount of information on that site across character, spells, places, houses – whatever.You name it, he’s catalogued it.And it’s been immensely helpful.

In my opinion, no one would start out to do such work (And I’m guessing that he didn’t start the Lexicon many years ago to publish it) unless they loved the books.Now if you still don’t think he deserves to make money from all this effort, then consider this:Both JK herself (it has been quoted) and the official movie producers and directors use/used the Lexicon.I remember JK saying something about it’s helpful to check when she’s out writing so she’s doesn’t have to buy her own book to check a fact.So from that I deduce she used it sparingly – but still.As for the movies, their use was far more extensive.(I wish I could remember the freaking quote and my internet is far too suck to delve in and get it.) But I do remember them saying they had all or most pages printed out and referred to it every day on set.I believe they even flew SVA out to the set.

So his work hugely aided/contributed to the production of the HP movies (and I’m speculating whether Kloves etc used it as well), which make oodles or money which in returns makes JK oodles of money to add to her oodles of money.(I’ve also idly wondered whether she would refer to the Lexicon when writing her own encyclopaedia rather than trolling through her books for some minor things that could be found at the click of a mouse on his site)

When the case was first brought to my attention, I admit I was a little worried about the ramifications of such a trial.Because legal issues and rulings *always* have ramifications and long past cases used as legal precedent etc etc (So not a lawyer).And I was worried about this might affect fandom, fansites, fanfic… Basically the very elements that ensure or largely contribute a writers/actors/films/TV shows/books success.I remember when the WB went after Buffy fansites using official promo shots or screencaps from the series, issuing C&D like they were in heat and pissing off a very valuable core group of people that elevates a product from watchable to cult.The very element that laps up the various merchandising spinoffs.The damn element that makes the money.*facepalm*Do.Not.Understand.

Anyway.Off point slightly, I suppose.

So that’s why I’m on the Lexicon’s side.I don’t know *everything* about the case because AOL and I aren’t friends anymore but from what I have read and understood, that is my position.I’m a little annoyed by 13year olds fangirling around JK (e.g. JK rulez, SVA sux!!!111eleventy) when they don’t really know what’s going on.But I’m also aware that there are a huge number of intelligent people out there whose opinions differ from mine because either they know more than me (very possible) and/or they look at the issue of fan-based reference work differently.